9 Best Places to Volunteer with Your Grandchildren

There are countless ways you can spend time with your grandchildren. Watching a movie. Going to the park. Baking or cooking together. Another great way to spend time with your grandkids? Volunteering together! If you’re looking for ideas about where to volunteer with your grandkids, we’ve got your back. Here are 9 ideas just for you!

Why Take My Grandchild to Volunteer?

Volunteering is beneficial for many reasons. Your grandchildren can how to be compassionate while helping others. Volunteering can also learn to appreciate what they have and the value of teamwork. Additionally, it can help them get out of their comfort zone and build their confidence. They also learn life skills and more about themselves by discovering their inner strengths. Learning that they can make a difference in other people’s lives can empower kids and help them develop their identity. By volunteering, kids can put their time toward an experience that will help their overall well-being.

Places to Volunteer

In today’s world, it’s not too difficult to find volunteer opportunities! Start by Googling volunteer opportunities near you. You’ll probably be surprised by how many hits you get! Facebook is also a great resource that can help you find volunteer opportunities galore. Of course, some good, old-fashioned word of mouth can also be helpful! If you have friends or loved ones who volunteer, ask for some recommendations. Otherwise, keep reading for our suggestions!

1. Animal Shelters

If you and your grandchildren love animals, volunteering at an animal shelter or with a rescue group is a great opportunity. You and your grandkids can volunteer to walk dogs, clean cages, and feed animals. Another option is to work with a rescue group and foster a cat or a dog. You’ll be the primary caregiver, but your grandchildren can help you take care of them. An added benefit of fostering is that most rescue groups provide everything you need from food to veterinary care. It’s a win-win for everyone! 

Some animals don’t do well in shelters or cat cafés and need their own temporary home. Sadly, your grandkids might get attached, and there will probably be tears when the pet gets adopted. However, consider fostering another pet to help heap the bittersweet pain and void the first one left.

2. Virtual Volunteering

This opportunity to volunteer is great for high schoolers and up. Many kids fall behind in school and need tutoring. The program Learn to Be pairs children with tutors for one-on-one opportunities. To get started, simply fill out an application. Once you’re approved, you can look and see who needs tutoring in the subject of your expertise. Then the tutor connects with the child or family to set up a session.

Another option is UPchieve. This program allows tutors aged 13 and up as long as they pass the certification quiz. They even offer training! You and your grandchildren could volunteer to tutor at the same time and then talk about your experiences. You may learn how to teach something differently that will help a child understand better. 

3. Help the Hungry

Volunteering at a food pantry is a great way to teach compassion and empathy to your grandkids. Realizing that others struggle will help them appreciate what they have. If you have smaller kids, let them help you shop for items to donate to the food pantry. Let them help make menu planning decisions and explain to them why you are helping someone you don’t know.

When you drop off your donations, ask an employee to explain to your children how their donation will impact a family in need. If you’re donating around the holidays, pick up some special items like gourmet hot cocoa, tea, ground coffee, or holiday-themed treats to make them feel extra special. 

4. Archive Museum Documents

If you and your older grandkids love history, this opportunity will be right up your alley. The National Archives needs people to transcribe and tag documents they have already uploaded. Volunteers type out the content of a specific historical document that experts have already screened. Then the volunteer adds keywords (tags) so the files are more searchable. This is a great opportunity for high school kids who are proficient typers and computer savvy.

5. The Library

If your local library is anything like mine, it’s overflowing with volunteer opportunities. From reading to kids to transcribing old documents, the possibilities are endless! If you don’t have a local library, you aren’t out of luck. Set up a “Little Free Library” in your neighborhood. Little libraries are easy to build and install. Next, sit down together and make a list of books for all ages that you would like to include. This could be from your own library or books you pick up at used bookstores and yard sales. What a great way to encourage your grandchildren to read while helping your community!

6. Clean Up Your Local Park

Unfortunately, many people don’t treat parks with the care and dignity they deserve. This means they’re often filled with trash and weeds. And while this is sad for the environment, it’s a great volunteer opportunity for you! Take your grandkids to the park to clean trash, plant flowers, and pull weeds. You can even organize an event and invite more volunteers! Contact your Parks and Recreation Council before you organize an event and ask for their permission. This opportunity is great because kids can see directly how their work impacts the community.

7. Volunteer at the Aquarium or Zoo

This is another great opportunity for the animal lovers! There are many ways of volunteering, like assisting visitors, helping with kids’ programs, taking out trash, and sorting recycling. Your grandkids will also be able to see a lot of fun and exotic animals up close. Well, within reason, of course.

8. Fundraising Walks and Runs

Sit down with your grandkids and discuss all the causes that are important to them. You can also tell them what causes you hold near and dear to your heart. Then, research and see if there are any fundraising walks or runs coming up, and take your grandchildren with you. Kids can help fundraise by donating from their piggy banks and asking for small donations from friends or neighbors. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money.

Older kids may have more opportunities to raise funds by organizing a car wash or bake sale or donating part of their babysitting money or a portion of each paycheck from their job. Also, discuss how fundraising helps people. Most importantly, have fun!

9. Help Senior Citizens

If you have friends who aren’t in the best of health, volunteer to help them and have your grandkids tag along. This could be helping clean their house, cooking a meal, or weeding a garden. Younger kids can pull weeds, tear lettuce for a salad, and set the table. Older kids can do things like dust, vacuum, and cook a meal (with adult supervision). 

If you know an older adult who’s in a nursing home or assisted living, check their visiting hours and bring your grandkids to visit them there. They might even be able to sing or play the piano for residents of the facility. What a fantastic way for them to use their talents!

Tips for Volunteering

• Make sure the volunteer opportunity aligns with your and your grandchild’s passions.

• Call and ask about volunteer opportunities ahead of time.

• Double-check the age range for child volunteers. There may be some stipulations, but most of the time, it’s fine if a guardian is with them.

There are all kinds of ways to volunteer with your grandchildren. Choose a place to volunteer today and go and change someone’s life!

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